Abstract
BACKGROUND: Oral health has emerged as a subject of significant public concern. Oral frailty represents the clinical presentation of advanced oral health decline and serves as a significant indicator of systemic frailty. However, current research on oral frailty in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is quite limited. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of oral frailty among middle-aged and older CKD patients. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 307 CKD patients from two tertiary general hospitals in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, from November 2024 to March 2025. The Oral Frailty Index-8 (OFI-8), Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF), Revised Piper Fatigue Scale (RPFS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to assess CKD patients. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the associated factors of oral frailty among CKD patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of oral frailty among CKD patients was 61.9% (190/307). In binary logistic regression analysis, marital status, educational level, self-care ability, dentures, dry mouth, and the RPFS-CV score were identified as factors significantly increasing the risk of oral frailty in middle-aged and older hospitalized patients with CKD. CONCLUSION: Compared with non-CKD patients, CKD patients demonstrate poorer oral health status, and oral frailty is common among CKD patients. This finding suggests the necessity for healthcare professionals to develop individualized and evidence-based strategies for the prevention and management of oral frailty, with particular emphasis on high-risk populations requiring targeted interventions.